Mountain thistle
Acanthus montanus
Family: Acanthaceae
What it is like
A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.
There are about 30-50 Acanthus species. There are about 3,000 Acanthaceae family plants. They are mostly tropical and subtropical. The family are mostly herbs or shrubs.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows naturally in tropical West Africa. It suits hardiness zones 10-11. It needs a fertile well drained soil. It grows in mountain forest in the understorey.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Balkans, Benin, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Congo, Congo DR, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Europe, Gabon, Greece, Haiti, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mediterranean, Mozambique, Nigeria, Romania, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Singapore, Sierra Leone, Tasmania, West Africa, West Indies
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Leaves, plant - salt
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seeds or by cuttings.
Its other names
Local names
Bear's breech, Jeruju gunung, Nkeka ngo, Nzundu nzundu